Song of Myself Themes

The word "identity" occurs only a couple of times in "Song of Myself," but it is easily the central theme of this vast epic. Whitman sees his identity split into at least three components: his ever...

America was not just a place to Whitman, it was also an idea and a goal to shoot for. His America is a place where all people are equal, all jobs are equally important, and people feel for one anot...

Whitman is the poet of democracy, and friendship is the one truly essential ingredient for a democracy. He wasn't the only one to realize this. His contemporary and literary inspiration Ralph Waldo...

Whitman's ambivalence about religion and spirituality is a major topic of "Song of Myself." He thinks that society has surpassed organized religion with its hierarchies and rules, but his language...

Well, not sex, exactly…or maybe in certain passages. "Song of Myself" became scandalous in some circles because of its frank discussion of sexuality, body parts, and bodily fluids. But Whitman is...